Stock Condition Survey for United Response

the project

Faithorn Farrell Timms was appointed by United Response (UR) to undertake condition surveys of 11 supported housing schemes. We were to provide a descriptive summary of the schemes and the main building components, together with costed elemental replacement profiles.

our role

To develop a schedule of component cost rates and life-cycles appropriate to the range of assets and building components likely to be encountered within the portfolio.

To programme the survey inspections and make access arrangements with scheme managers.

To provide a condition survey report for each scheme complete with financial forecast analysis and all supporting data.

the challenges

The schemes were located across five counties and the total travel distance between them was calculated at 800 miles.

The survey design needed to be all-encompassing to cover the diverse range of property types and components within the portfolio.

the solution

Initially, we conducted external reconnaissance via internet digital imagery and profiled the stock to inform our survey design and schedule of rates. However, we retained the flexibility to be able to add additional components during the survey should any anomalies be discovered by the surveyor. We used one surveyor for consistency of data returns.

We formulated a re-structured asset list to take account of the number of dwelling units in each scheme and programmed our surveyor based on the time we estimated each survey would take and the travel distance between each site. It was necessary for us to devise a rigid programme to account for the travel and recuperation time required by the surveyor whilst travelling large distances. Overnight accommodation was arranged at intervals throughout the programme.

Our client’s scheme managers were made aware at an early stage of the importance of us being able to access properties on the date stipulated to allow us to deliver the programme. Our surveyor maintained contact with them for arrival times.

added value

We have furnished our client with reports in a coherent and consistent structure and the data has been provided in an open format tabular dataset.

The data is organised in a format that is readily updatable once components have been replaced and can therefore easily facilitate the reproduction of reports to reflect the works undertaken.